𝐈𝐋𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄̈ || A.

𝟎𝟏𝟒 ⸺ the riders of rohan

Aragorn rests his head on a rock, listening to whatever his Ranger ears hear.
     "Their pace has quickened," he mentions. "They must have caught our scent. We must hurry!" Aragorn rises to his feet as Legolas shouts to Gimli.
     "Come on, Gimli!" Gimli pants as he runs up the hill.
     "Three days and nights pursuit," he pants. "No food. No rest. And no sight of our quarry, but what bare rocks can tell." Iladya awaits Gimli and chuckles at his complaining.
     "It will be all worth it, Master Gimli." Gimli shoots her a dangerous glance.
     "It better be!" he shouts.

Aragorn, Iladya, Legolas and Gimli, trailing behind, are running along the top of the mountains and hills. Iladya picks up Pippin's fallen elven brooch. She glances around, searching for Aragorn's attention. She holds up the brooch.
     ''Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall,'' he speaks.
      ''They may yet be alive," Iladya continues.
      ''Less than a day ahead of us. Come," Aragorn urges.
      ''Come, Gimli!'' Legolas calls. ''We are gaining on them!''
Gimli falls and rolls down the hill. Aragorn couldn't suppress a smile as Iladya sprinted over to the dwarf.
''I'm wasted on cross-country,'' he grunts. ''We Dwarves are natural sprinters.'' He rose to his feet before Iladya could help him. ''We are very dangerous over short distances,'' he says, looking at Iladya. Iladya laughs as she replies,
''I believe you, Master Gimli.''

They arrive at a brow of a hill looking down on the plains below.
     ''Rohan,'' Aragorn breathes. ''Home of the Horse-lords. There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, set its will against us.'' Legolas runs ahead. Aragorn shouts over to him.
      ''Legolas, what do your Elf-eyes see?''
      ''The Uruks turn northeast,'' he calls. ''They are taking the Hobbits to Isengard!''
     Iladya glances at Aragorn, ''What does that mean?'' Aragorn looks down at Iladya.
     ''Saruman,'' he grunts. ''He is one of five wizards. He is alike Gandalf but he doesn't do what he is supposed to do.'' Iladya nods and looks forward. Aragorn puts an arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer. He presses a kiss on her hair. Iladya rests her head against his shoulder.
     "I hope Merry and Pippin are left unharmed," Iladya whispers. Aragorn looks down at her as Iladya looks up at him.
      "As do I," he whispers and places another kiss on her hair. Iladya smiles as she stares at the plains of Rohan.
     Gimli had run his way to Legolas and panted. He sees Legolas looking at his two friends.
      ''Are you alright, lad?'' Gimli asks. Legolas looks down at the dwarf. He felt caught off guard by his question.
      ''I am,'' he simply answers and shifts his glance back to the two.
      ''You aren't bothered by something?'' Gimli might be a Dwarf but he knows what love looks like. Gimli looks at the elf, who is still staring at the two.
      ''No,'' he answers. ''I only fear for the relationship they are building.''
      ''Explain further,'' Gimli continues.
      ''This is a dangerous adventure. He is my best friend. She is my sister. I want her to have the love she deserves.''
      ''You think it won't be with Aragorn?'' Gimli asks confused. Legolas looks down and sends him a faint smile.
      ''I know it will be with Aragorn because an elf can only fall in love once in his life,'' Legolas comments. ''I want them to be happy, not fighting a war.''
      ''They will be alright, both are stubborn enough,'' Gimli assures and slaps Legolas on his back. Legolas smiles as he looks down at the Dwarf.
      "Thank you, Gimli. You have my gratitude.'' Gimli looks up and smiles.

The Uruk-hai are running across the plain. Aragorn, Iladya, Legolas and Gimli are running down the side of a hill after them.
      ''Keep breathing,'' Gimli breathes. ''That's the key. Breathe.''
      ''They've run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them,'' Legolas comments. The four hunters continue running.
     Aragorn pauses to look at tracks on the ground and they hear the sounds of neighing and thundering hooves. He beckons to the others to follow him as they hide behind some rocks. His hand protectively searches for Iladya's hand. Iladya glances down at his hand and gets a hold of his hand. Aragorn casts a glance over his shoulder and smiles before glancing back.
A large group of horses and horsemen thunder past them over the brow of the hill. Aragorn comes out of hiding, followed by Legolas, Iladya and Gimli.
"Riders of Rohan ... What news from the Mark?" Aragorn calls. The rider raises his spear and the horsemen circle round and gallop back to the Hunters and circle around them, spears drawn. Their leader rides through the men and stops in front of them.
"What business does a Man, a Dwarf and two Elves have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"
"Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine," Gimli calls. He dismounts from his horse and walks towards Gimli.
"I would cut off your head, Dwarf ... If it stood but a little higher from the ground," The man hisses. Legolas quickly draws an arrow and aims for his head.
"You would die before your stroke fell," Legolas
says. The remaining men point their spears at Legolas. Aragorn steps between him and the man and holds Legolas' arm down.
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas and Iladya of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your King."
"Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe — he takes off his helmet — not even his own kin," Eomer says, motioning for the Rohirrim to raise their spears. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the King and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say ... as an old man hooded and cloaked. And everywhere, his spies slip past our nets."
"We are no spies," Aragorn answers. ''We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive."
"The Uruks are destroyed," Eomer answers. ''We slaughtered them during the night."
"But there were two Hobbits. Did you see two Hobbits with them?!" Gimli asks desperately.
"They would be small, only children to your eyes," Aragorn explains.
"We left none alive," he shakes his head and points to a smoking pile behind them. ''We piled the carcasses and burned them."
"Dead?" Iladya asks, growing fear in her stomach.
"I am sorry," Eomer nods, causing him to whistle. "Hasufel! Arod!" Two horses come walk-in towards him.
"May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." Eomer puts back his helmet and mounts his horse. "Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands," he says and turns to his men. ''We ride north!" The four watch the Rohirrim ride away.
Iladya had reached Aragorn's hand. Aragorn gets a hold of her hand and softly caresses her knuckles. Aragorn glances down before looking at Iladya. She turns to him, concern written all over her face. Aragorn couldn't do nor say anything because he didn't know whether they were still alive. He squeezes her hand as he looks toward the pile of smoke.
"Perhaps, we find something," Aragorn comments softly, motioning to the horses. Aragorn glances at Legolas, questioning whether he wants his sister with him or Gimli. However, Legolas sensed his sister needed Aragorn more than him. He nodded in her direction that she should stay with him, causing Aragorn to nod. 
"My lady," Aragorn says. Iladya glances at him
before glancing at the horse. She nods and mounts the horse. After her, Aragorn mounts the horse and sits behind her. He takes the leash in his hands, automatically wrapping his arms around her waist.
Aragorn, Iladya, Legolas and Gimli ride up to
the smoking pile and dismount. Gimli digs through the pile of burnt bodies with his axe and picks up a belt.
"It's one of their wee belts Gimli gasps.
"Hiro hyn hîdh ab wanath," Legolas murmurs, bowing her head. Aragorn kicks an Uruk helmet and falls to his knees.
"AAAAAGH."
"We failed them," Gimli says.
Iladya looks at the ground and surveys the marks.
"You need to look more carefully," Aragorn pointed out.
"I am but all I see is dirt," Iladya commented annoyed, which made him laugh.
"A Hobbit lay here .. And the other."
"You must see through the dirt," Aragorn responded. He saw to whom the track belonged.
"Through the dirt ... Aragorn-" Iladya had turned around but found herself way closer to Aragorn than intended. Her eyes widened and Aragorn grinned from ear to ear.
"Look ... carefully," he said. Iladya groaned and turned to the trail. Aragorn could only watch with amusement written on his face.
"They crawled ... Their hands were bound," she says, causing Aragorn to rise to his feet. Iladya picks up a piece of rope and shows it to Aragorn. "Their bonds were cut." Iladya continues tracking them, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli following her.
"They ran over here ... They were followed," she says. Iladya runs to the forest, the others following.
"Tracks lead away from the battle-" They stop running and stare at the forest.
"Into Fangorn forest," Aragorn finishes her sentence.
"Fangorn? What madness drove them in there?" Gimli gasps.